Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-06-23
THE MADISON SQUARE PHILOSOPHER
George Francis Train Appears With the
Flowers of Spring-His Remarks.

George Francis Train Appears With the
Flowers of Spring-His Remarks.
A gray bearded man, matronly woman,
dozen children and four or five dilapidated
persons surrounded one of the benches in
Madison square the other afternoon. On the
bench sat broad shouldered man of striking
appearance. He wore no hat. His Head was
bald on the top, but long white hair tossed
careleSSly back fell like q name upon his
shoulders. His face was very brown from
exposure to wind and sunshine, and the top of
his head was as brown as his face Steel blue
eyes of remarkable brilliancy, with oddly
dilated pupils, looked frankly and fearlessly
out upon the world from the sunburned face.
The broad shouldered man was talking to
little girl, evidently the daughter of the ma
tronly woman.
People don't know anything" he said.
"They don't know enough to live. They
won't learn. All the world is hypnotized"
The little girl looked as though she thought
this very terrible state of affairs, and the
trampS listened to the strange words with re-
spectful admiration. The woman stopped
down and told the little girl to ask the man
something. He caught the question before the
girl could speak, and answered, directing his
remarks to her: "Crazy! No. You pity crazy
people, don't you? Well, you never heard
anybody pity me. People don't say, Look
at that poor man sitting on a bench enjoying
the sunshine and the air. Isn't it too bad
that he sits there? They never say that"
Again the woman stopped down and spoke
in low tone, and the man quickly replied:
II live thus because / know how to live. I
have the secret. l hold it in my hand I
have it all here-success or failure, life or
death, happiness or misery" and he ciinched
a muscular hand and turned his wrist back
ward and forward as he spoke.
1t was a 'ry powerful hand and looked as
though anything grasped by it would be held
by tremendous grip. He continued: II
haven't eaten meat for twenty years. People
eat too much. l eat once day, and only a
pound of food then. Once went to Black
wells Island"-
Sr1den expression of sympathetic interest
on tie faces of the tramps
Il looked at the food they give the prison.
ers. How much do you suppose they give
each prisoner daya Eleven poundsl If they
didn't make the men work they would die I
think they must have a system for killing
prisoners off by gorging their stomachs."
The tramps sighed and looked longingly
eastward.
"Omaha? Yes, saw that was the place
for city of millions. jumped ashore and
found hat lying in the rocd. Nothin els
there Now there is city. owned
it once. Do you know how people live? Ten
own everything, and ninety own nothing. 1
saw if 1 held that land would be O. of the
ten. 1 didn't want to swim with ninety men
on nv back | said: t'Take your city. 7
don't want it, and left them to do as they
pleased. Now 1 sit here, and it costs me.only
81 day TO live"
The little girl, being prompted, said good
by. The little knot of people melted away,
and the broad shouldered man began reading
newspaper. A red eyed, shabby man came
along and nodded smilingly to him The
man on the bench waved his hand courte-
ously, smiled and nodded, but sail nothing.
George Francis Train speaks only to chill
drar,